Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Paul Pogba and Paulo Dybala Rumours

Real Madrid have reportedly made enquiries to Juventus over the availability of their star men, Paul Pogba and Paulo Dybala, although they are said to have balked at the asking price for the former. 

According to El Chringuito (h/t Luke Salvin-Hughes of Sport), Los Blancos were quoted a whopping €150 million if they wanted to land Pogba, of which €30 million would go to the player himself; the transfer, including his potential salary, could top €270 million, it’s stated.

It seems as though Los Blancos may face competition from Manchester United, though, with Jose Mourinho's new side said to be in "pole position" to secure the player, per Mark Ogden of the Independent.

After deciding that amount was “extortionate,” Real president Florentino Perez asked about Dybala potentially moving on, according to Salvin-Hughes, who wrote: “The Bianconeri's response was €100 million in addition to Pogba's fee.”

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Gianluca Di Marzio (translated by David Amoyal) has also noted Real’s interest in Pogba. It’s stated that with the Liga giants unlikely to meet Juventus’ asking price, the player trying to force a move would be needed to push this one along.

The pair were two of the brightest stars in the Italian top flight last term. Here is a look back at some of their best moments from what was another title-winning season for Juventus:

Young, talented, attack-minded and exciting to watch; it’s easy to see why both of these players would be on Madrid’s radar, as they’re a club renowned for signing the upcoming stars in the game.

Pogba and Dybala are well on their way to establishing themselves as world-class performers and could realise that potential fully at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Pogba is arguably the more established of the duo, which is reflected in the fee Real were reportedly quoted for him. According to the number crunchers at WhoScored.com, the Frenchman was the finest player in Serie A last season:

Few would dispute that, as Pogba patrolled midfield battles superbly, winning possession with his strapping frame before nimbly darting away from defenders.

After the sales of Carlos Tevez, Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo last summer, the 23-year-old was tasked with becoming the team’s talisman. He excelled.

All eyes will be on the youngster this summer, too. The last two times France hosted major tournaments they were victorious and inspired to glory by supreme midfield players in Michel Platini at the UEFA European Championship in 1984 and Zinedine Zidane at the FIFA World Cup in 1998; many expect Pogba to follow in those footsteps.

Bleacher Report UK recently rated Pogba as the best central midfielder at the tournament:

Dybala’s situation is a little different. Although he’s only five months younger than Pogba, his rise to an elite level has been slower, and even in the early stages of his Juve career, there were some doubts about whether he had what was required to thrive at an elite club. But he’s since answered them emphatically.

As noted here by Squawka Football, following his big-money move from Palermo last summer, Dybala enjoyed his best-ever goalscoring season:

Juventus will be desperate to keep hold of both players, with Massimiliano Allegri seeking to build a young squad that can challenge for the UEFA Champions League in years to come. But should Real Madrid come calling, it’d be an opportunity that both players would surely consider.

If Real want either of these superstars, they’d have to accept spending a lot of money. Both players have the potential to be vital components for the best part of a decade and are still making improvements to an already vast set of skills.

Juventus will have to be paid handsomely if they’re to sell one of these crown jewels, never mind both.